James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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535. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the increased application to the sports capital grant scheme will be considered in the allocation of such funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31636/21]

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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536. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way the increased application to the sports capital grant scheme will be considered in the selection of projects; if a large project will receive a minimal amount; if a few projects will receive the necessary funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31637/21]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 535 and 536 together.

The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country.

The 2020 round of the SCEP closed for applications on Monday 1^stMarch, 2021. By the closing date, 3,106 applications were submitted seeking over €200m in funding. This is the highest number of applications ever received. The scoring system and assessment manual for the 2020 round has now been finalised and is available at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie.

Given the record number of applications and the detailed information contained in each application, the assessment process will take a number of months to complete. No decision on allocations will be made until all applications have been assessed but priority will be given to projects that score highest in accordance with the published scoring system. Furthermore, every effort will be made to fund as many worthwhile projects as possible while providing a sufficient level of grant to ensure the projects are viable. While a minimum of €40m is available, depending on resource availability and an analysis of the likely drawdown demands in the coming years for older SCEP grants.